Magpies' Academy to Make the Grade; Magpies' Academy in Line for Top Status

Magpies' Academy to Make the Grade; Magpies' Academy in Line for Top Status

Article excerpt

Byline: Mark Douglas ? (0191) 201-6281 ? mark.douglas@ncjmedia.co.uk

NEWCASTLE United are confident of belatedly clinching Category One status for their Academy before the turn of the year, in a development that is viewed as critical for continued success of the club under Mike Ashley.

A major overhaul of Academies is currently being pushed through by the Premier League as part of the Elite Player Performance Plan, which will see clubs graded to one of four levels.

Newcastle's Academy was initially assessed below the grade required to earn the sought-after Category One mark, which brings a minimum of PS775,000 of annual funding and makes it easier for clubs to scout and transfer the best players from all over the country. That was a sizeable blow for a club that has placed youth development at the heart of its attempts to become sustainable, but The Journal has learned that United are hopeful of confirmation of their Category One status in the next few months, having proven to the Premier League that they have made the improvements raised by the original audit.

Making the grade is of huge importance to United, who would stand to lose nearly PS300,000 of annual Academy funding and run the risk of neighbours Middlesbrough and Sunderland - who have both already been given Category One status - potentially poaching their players for a knock-down fee if they were in the Category Two bracket.

The status of their Academy has been shrouded in mystery ever since the first tranche of clubs to be awarded Category One status began to announce that they had been given the top tier of funding. Unlike Sunderland - who made a swift announcement that they had been given Category One status - Newcastle made no comment, but seem to have worked hard with the Premier League and independent auditors Foot Pass England to try to make the adjustments needed. The club have also been able to point to the increased number of Academy graduates being used in high-profile games this season, with the emergence of Shane Ferguson and James Tavernier particularly pleasing for manager Alan Pardew. …